1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer networks and more specifically to systems for and methods of delivering network services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many organizations have locations where there are limited or no IT staff to maintain and operate network equipment. Current solutions often require: expensive on-site staff, service contracts with local expert contractors; and/or investment in expensive remote network management and monitoring software, systems, or services. Additionally, current solutions allow an administrator to make changes to the network in multiple places like a CLI, Web-GUI, or network management system—for which there is no good way to synchronize changes from each place where changes occur. There is a need for lower cost, more efficient solutions for providing network services.
In order to set-up and run a computer network, many organizations face the challenges of: building a server and installing and configuring vendor software to manage network devices; and installing, configuring, and maintaining a network management appliance. Furthermore, many organizations desire, but do not have access to solutions that allow: people from multiple domains, virtual networks, or companies to operate different portions of the network management software; and support of 10,000+ devices. There is a need for network management applications that provide solutions to these software challenges.
Since network administrators can change a device's configuration settings both locally on the device and at the network management station, the actual configuration of a device can differ from that intended by the management station. Additionally, because of Network Address Translation (NAT), some devices cannot be reached when communication is initiated by the management station. There is a need for a solution to overcome these communication issues that affect network integrity.
Most networking solutions today require the networking device to be reachable when communication is initiated from the management station. They also typically allow changes to be made both at the management station and at the networking device itself. Because of this, not all networking topologies are possible, and the actual networking device's configuration can “morph out from under” the management station's expectation of that device's settings. There is a need for solutions that provide greater flexibility in network topology and greater predictability.
Network Address Translation (NAT) enables a LAN to use one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second set for external traffic. Because of NAT, some devices cannot be reached when communication is initiated by the management station, since the addresses for internal traffic may be hidden from the management station. Most networking solutions today require the networking device to be reachable when communication is initiated from the management station. There is a need to overcome this communication barrier between the management station and networking devices.
Network Administrators spend a lot of time just keeping-up on all the possible versions of operational software available for a piece of networking gear. There is a need to provide network administrators with a simpler and more efficient software solution. Even worse, there is a continual flow of maintenance and security patches each month. There is a need to simplify this maintenance process.
Home users often need networking devices issued by their employer in order to work from home, but their employer does not find it cost-effective to send a technician to the employees' home to configure the networking device. Employers also do not wish to spend time stocking those networking devices at the office and pre-configuring them on a per-unit basis before sending them home with their employees. Some networking vendors have implemented configuration servers which store one configuration for each networking device to be deployed, but even in such solutions, the configurations are associated with the networking device, rather than the end-user making use of that networking device. There is a need for a more efficient, cost effective method for employers to provide their employees with networking devices for home-use.
Authenticating a networking device to a Web server often involves some key material being pre-installed on the device, such as a certificate, or pre-shared key (PSK). There is a need for efficient methods of performing authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) on an insecure device—without a pre-installed PSK or similar.